"Goodwill Gesture" - Nothing Easy About Getting A Refund From EasyJet

Airline reluctant to refund family with leukaemia-stricken daughter

May 06, 2008

After initially claiming it was down to the family not taking out adequate travel insurance at the time of booking, EasyJet airline has agreed to refund plane fare to a family who had to cancel a trip when their young daughter contracted leukaemia. This is despite the fact that the airline are supposed to be supporting a charity linked to child leukaemia.

"EasyJet is a non-refundable airline and advises all passengers to take out adequate travel insurance at the time of booking to cover all eventualities,â€ť said EasyJet spokesperson Samantha Day. "However, as a goodwill gesture on this occasion we have issued a refund and this will be credited to the card used to make the original booking within the next five to seven working days."

Given the news, however, Steven Bell, the young girlâ€™s father, says the family will not be looking to go on vacation at the moment. The Bell family was due to travel through Nice, France, and had booked their ÂŁ600 flight through the airline.

"When I contacted the airline I was told that no refunds will be possible,â€ť Bell was quoted as saying in a recent report from The Northern Echo on the matter. "The irony is that, this year, easyJet are supporting the Anthony Nolan Trust, a charity linked to child leukaemia, so that made it worse."

The airline refused to refund the familyâ€™s money at first, but recently renegged on their initial reaction. The young Newcastle girl began chemotherapy in April, and is due for her second stage of treatment later this year.